Shrewsbury goes to Gotham: How our town inspired Batman
New exhibition tells how one local artist turned our town into Gotham City.
Shrewsbury Prison has inspired many things over the years. But a Batman theme tune might just be the most unexpected. A new exhibition at Swan Hill Studios tells the remarkable story of how one local artist turned our town into Gotham City.
If you have ever walked past Shrewsbury Prison and thought it looked a little bit like something out of a Batman comic, you are not imagining things. World-renowned comic book artist Mike Perkins, who was born in Wolverhampton and has called Shrewsbury home since returning from the United States, has been quietly immortalising the town’s streets, landmarks and even some of its people in the pages of one of DC Comics’ biggest recent releases.
Now, that extraordinary local connection is being celebrated with a dedicated exhibition. Dana, Dana, Dana, Dana… BATMAN! opens at Swan Hill Studios on Thursday, June 11, with a Private View from 5.30pm to 8pm. And the title alone is enough to raise a smile.
Altogether now...
The story behind the name is one of those wonderfully accidental moments of creativity. Perkins’ friend James Fletcher, who also appears as a character in the comic itself, was flicking through the pages when he noticed something brilliant. One particular page features four panels of scene-setting shots of Shrewsbury Prison, with Batman appearing in the bottom right corner of the final frame.
Read the panels in sequence using the prison’s name and they provide their own perfect rhythm: Dana, Dana, Dana, Dana… BATMAN! The old television theme tune writes itself.
Shrewsbury as Gotham
Perkins has been drawing Batman for DC Black Label in a series written by veteran comics writer Dan Jurgens. The two titles, The Bat-Man: First Knight and its sequel The Bat-Man: Second Knight, are set in 1939 and take a noir, period approach to the Caped Crusader. To conjure the brooding, gothic atmosphere of Gotham City, Perkins looked no further than his own front door.
Shrewsbury Prison, with its imposing Victorian architecture, was a natural fit. But the town’s influence runs much deeper than that. The former Shelton Hospital, the grand staircase at Netley Hall and the bustling town centre all appear within the pages. Even some familiar local faces have made it into the panels.
A hometown hero
Perkins, originally from Wolverhampton, spent over 20 years living and working in Tampa, Florida, before returning to the UK to settle in Shrewsbury, a town he has described as “the soul of artistry.” Since coming home, he has thrown himself into the local creative community.
His career speaks for itself. With credits including Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor, the X-Men, Fantastic Four, The Swamp Thing, Doctor Strange and Stephen King’s The Stand, he is a multiple Eisner and Harvey Award nominee and an Eagle Award winner, widely regarded as one of the finest illustrators working in comics today.
He is also in good company. Fellow comics legend Charlie Adlard, best known for The Walking Dead, is another Shrewsbury resident, helping to quietly cement the town’s reputation as an unofficial home of the British comics industry.
About the venue
The exhibition will be held at Swan Hill Studios, an independent creative community space located in the heart of Shrewsbury at 17a Swan Hill. A non-profit organisation working towards becoming a Community Interest Company, Swan Hill Studios is committed to making creativity accessible to everyone and hosts a regular programme of exhibitions, workshops, screenings and community events.
The Private View takes place on Thursday, June 11, 5.30pm to 8pm, at Swan Hill Studios, 17a Swan Hill, Shrewsbury SY1 1NL. Tickets are available at swanhillstudios.com.